Sewing-machine ruffler.



E. J. BOYLER.

SEWING MACHINE RUPFLER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1911.

1,01 1,908. Patented Dec.19,1911.

III? /5 "5- 4 '1 W/ T/VES UNITED STATES PATENT- FFICE.

EMANUEL J. BOYLER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GREIST MAN- UFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SEWING-MACHINE RUFFLER.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EMANUEL J. BoYLnR, a citizen of Canada, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Rutllers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of sewing machine rufllers in which the rufliing blades are operated from the needle-bars of the machines in such a manner that the forward strokes of the ruffling blades are effected during the upward movements of the operating levers connected with the needlebars of the sewing machines, and in which the backward movements of the ruflling blades take place during the downward movements of the needle-bars.

In some sewing machines as now made the take-ups are so timed as to complete their stitch-tightening movements after the needle-bars have commenced their downward movements. In the operation of sewing machine rulflers for such machines it is desirable that the extreme forward throws of the rulflng blades should occur simultaneously with or immediately after the take ups have completed their stitch-tightening movements, and when the needle thread is held somewhat taut; as otherwise the ruffiing operations cannot be performed in the best manner.

To this end the present invention comprises certain improvements in rufllers of that class in which the forward strokes of the rufliing blades are effected at the upward movements of the operating levers connected with the needle-bars of the machines, and the invention has for its object to provide means whereby, after the main forward movement of a ruffling blade has been effected during the upward movement of the operating lever with a sewing machine needle-bar, a slight additional forward movement may be imparted to the ruffiing blade during the first part of the downward movement of the operating lever with the needle-bar, while the backward movement of the ruffling blade will be effected during the last part of the downward movement of the operating lever with the needlebar. By thus changing the timing of the rufiiing blade the rufHer will be best adapted Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January '12, 1911.

Serial No. 602,337.

for cooperation with a sewing machine in which the take-up completes its stitch-tightening movement after the needle has commenced to descend for the next succeeding stitch.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views of a sewing machine ruffler embodying the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, partly in section, on line 33, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of the rufiler. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ratchet wheel.

The present invention is herein shown as being applied to a five-stitch rufller such as that shown and described in the Greist and Beckert Patent No. 983,048, dated Jan. 31, 1911, but it will be understood that this invention may be embodied in other kinds of rufflers than the five-stitch rufiler referred to, and in which a rufile or gather may, at the will of the operator, be made at each stitch, or at each stroke of the needle-bar, or, where it is desired to make larger plaits or gathers, a single plait or gather may be made at each five stitches of the machine, or at each five strokes of the needle-bar.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes the body of the frame of the ruffler, and which frame is preferably provided with an integral attaching portion or shank 13 by which it may be secured to the presser-bar of a sewing machine in substitution of an ordinary presser-foot. The forked operating lever 14 is pivotally mounted on a stud 15 riveted to an upright portion of the frame 12. Also pivotally mounted on the said stud are an oscillating plate 16, a ratchetwheel 17 and a pendulous or secondary lever 18, the latter being jointed at its lower end to the carrier 19 of the ruffling blade 20. The oscillating plate 16 is provided with a projection 21 engaged by an adjustable regulating screw 22 mounted on the operating lever 14, said oscillating plate having a. projection or shoulder 23 adapted to engage a front upper portion of the said pendulous lever for effecting the backward or retractive movements of said lever and of the rufiiing blade connected therewith' The regulating screw 22 permits, according to its position of adjustment, of more or less lost motion between the operating lever 14 and the oscillating plate 16, so that any desired length of stroke may be imparted to the rufliing blade from said operating lever.

Patented Dec. 1%), 1911.

The pendulous lever 18 is provided at its top with a shoulder 24: and the ratchetwheel is provided with two relatively deep notches 25 between each of which, in the form of the invention herein shown are four relatively shallow notches 26, the said ratchet-wheel being engaged by a spring pressed pawl 27 mounted on the operating lever 14:.

The parts thus far described are, or may be, the same as the corresponding parts of the rather in said patent No. 983,0 t8, hereinbefore referred to, and in which rufllcr the entire forward movement of the milling blade is effected during the upward movement of the forked operating lever 14 oper ated from the needle-bar of the sewing ma chine. In the present improved ru'ltler an arm 28 is rigidly attached to the rattling blade carrier 19 said arm being provided with an inwardly projecting finger 29 arranged to be engaged by a pin 30 at the lower end of a swinging arm 31 pivotally attached at its upper end to a portion of the operating lever 14, said pin projecting on both sides of said arm. The frame 12 of the miller is provided with an opening 32 into which the said pin 30 extends, the said opening 32 having an upper cam-formed portion or edge wall 33 and a lower cam formed portion or edge wall 3 1.

With the rufller constructed as above described the main part of the forward stroke of the ruflling blade will be effected during the upward movement of the forked operat ing lever with the needle-bar of the machine. During this upward stroke of the operating lever the ,pin 30 will be in contact with the guiding cam-formed upper wall 33 of the opening 82, thereby causing the pivoted arm 31 to swing backward in such a manner as to bring the said pin somewhat above and rearward of the inwardly-projecting finger 29 of the arm 28 rigidly attached to the milling blade carrier 19. As there is always more or less lost motion.

between the operating lever 14 and the pendulous or secondary lever 18 the ruflling blade will not be retracted until the said operating lever has completed a considerable portion of its downward movement. During the initial part of the downward movement of the operating lever 14 with the needle-bar the take-up of the machine may complete its stitclrtightening movement before the pin 30 on the pivot-ally mounted or swinging arm 31 engages the finger 29 on the rigid arm 28; but just as this stitch-tightening movement of the takeup has been effected, and when the said pin 30 engages the said finger 29, the lower cam-formed edge portion 34 of the opening 32 with which the said pin 30 is new in engagement, will cause said pin to act on the said finger and] thereby force the rutfling blade forward slightly, thus completing its forward stroke at the time or just after the take-up has tightened the stitch, and while the needle-thread is somewhat taut. After the pin 31 descends clear of the finger 29 the continued movement of the operating lever causes the ruttling blade to be retracted in its usual manner; and during the upward movement of the operating lever 14 the pin 30 will be in contact with the guiding cam formed upper edge 33 in the opening 32 so as to carry the said pin and the swinging arm 31 backward in position for a new operation.

From the foregoing it will be apparentthat the present improvement provides means whereby the final forward throw of a ruftling blade may be efiected during the first half of the downward movement of the operating lever, the main portion of the forward movement of said rufiling blade being effected during the upward movement of the said operating lever with the said needlebar, and the backward or retractive movements of the rufHing blade being effected during the latter part of the downward movement of the operating lever with the needle-bar. By thus effecting the extreme forward throw of the ruflling blade during the early part of the downward movement of the operating lever with the needle-bar, and just as or immediately after the takeup has completed its stitch-tightening movement, the rul'liing operation may be effectively and properly performed with a much lighter tension on the needle thread than would otherwise be required; so that in changing from plain stitching to rutliing perfect rutliing may be done with as light a tension on the needle thread as can be properly employed in doing any kind of sew ng.

The invention is not to be understood as being limited to the details herein shown and described as these may be varied widely without departing from the essence of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a sewing machine rutller, the combination with a rufl'ling-blade and its carrier, of an operating lever connected therewith so as to impart a forward movement to said blade on the upward movement of said lever with the needle-bar of the machine, and means for imparting an additional forward movementto said rufliingblade during the first part of the downward movement of said lever.

2. In a sewing machine ruftler, the combination with a rutliing-blade and its carrier, of an operating lever connected there with so as to impart a forward movementto said blade on the upward movement of said lever with the needle-bar of the machine, and means for imparting an additional forward movement to said rufflingblade during the first part of the downward movement of said lever, said means comprising an arm pivotally attached to said operating lever and an arm movable with the rufiiing blade carrier and with which arm said first-named arm cooperates.

3. In a sewing machine rufiier, the combination with a ruflling blade and its carrier, of an operating lever connected therewith so as to impart a forwjard movement to said blade on the upward movement of said lever with the needle-bar of the machine, and means for imparting an additional forward movement to said ruffiingblade during the first part of the downward movement of said lever, said means comprising an arm pivotally attached to said operating lever and provided with a pin, an arm movable with the rufliing blade carrier and having a portion engaged by said pin, and cont-rolling cam portions on the ruiiler frame also engaged by said pin.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EMANUEL J. BOYLER. Witnesses:

P. R. GREIsT, HUBERT M. GREIST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

